Question

I understand that there may be some research into ME/CFS and Long Covid being undertaken or planned that involves the use of experiments that use mice. Does the MEA Ramsay Research Fund support or fund any research that involves the use of animals?

Answer

The RRF is not funding any research that involves the use of animals and we do not have any plans (or applications) to fund research that involves experiments that use mice.

However, we would not completely rule out the use of animal research if we were convinced that the information obtained was likely to lead to an effective form of treatment for ME/CFS and that there was no other way in which this research could be carried out.

Please note that this is a situation which is highly unlikely to occur because it would be difficult to create an animal model of ME/CFS. It is also difficult to foresee a situation where the use of an animal model to assess a possible treatment for ME/CFS would provide more reliable information on both safety and efficacy than a clinical trial involving human volunteers.

• Please let us know if you have any views on the use of animals in medical research. Should the MEA take a position where we totally exclude funding research involving animals – even if it could provide important information about either the cause or treatment of ME/CFS?